Monster Kart Monday #10: New Alpha, Upcoming Kickstarter

By: Jacob Wood, September 23, 2013 News

This entry is part 10 of 21 in the series Monster Kart Monday

Monster Kart Mayhem has been getting a lot of polish this week. Thanks to the feedback of one of our volunteer playtesters, I was able to add some much-needed rules clarifications and examples of play into to the book. Just this week I added about 1100 words to MKM, which is mighty impressive if you consider the whole book was only 8,000 words before.

I clarified and simplified language surrounding the Pace rules that were introduced to the Alpha 1 version of the book. There was some confusion over using the Trait Ladder’s numerical annotation alongside the notation for the number of Spaces moved during around. For example, the rules used to say something like: “if your Pace is Good (+1) you may move 5 Spaces.” The question was: If my Pace is +1, why am I moving 5 Spaces instead of 1? And if my Pace is Terrible (-3) why am I not moving backward?

To clear up that confusion, I removed the numerical annotation when referring to Pace. Now, a Good Pace simply means you move 5 Spaces.

I also clarified some rules concerning when you can use the Hurt Someone action. Do you have to pass someone on the track? What exactly does “pass someone” mean?

The rules have been clarified to state that any time you are within 1 Space of another racer, you may use the Hurt Someone action. This includes at the beginning of the race, though that may not always be the smartest decision.

Additionally, I added a detailed Turn Order Summary, which breaks down all of the steps of a racer’s turn one by one. It includes everything from checking to see if you have Power-Ups affecting you, checking for Terrain Effects, Accelerating, Driving, taking actions, etc. In total there are 9 steps, but you’ll find during play that the game isn’t as complicated as that may make it seem. Most of the time you’ll just naturally perform these checks without even thinking about them, but the summary is great when you’re first learning how to play.

The MKM Character Sheet has also been updated. The last Alpha had a very ugly sheet that was purely designed for function. The new document has a character sheet that I feel looks a lot better.Take a look and decide for yourself:

Finally, I updated the Race Course to use 1-inch squares instead of half-inch segments. This should improve functionality and readability.

To see all of the new changes for yourself, download the new Alpha 2 version of Monster Kart Mayhem below.

With all of the polish that’s been going into MKM lately, I’d also like to announce that the game will be getting a Kickstarter campaign very soon. The goal is to launch mid-October to raise funds for art. Already I’ve commissioned some great artwork for the game, which you can find on the Monster Kart Mayhem page here on the site, but I’d really like to get all of the great adventures illustrated so I can distribute them properly to the world.

There’s no video yet and the content is all subject to change, but why not check out the Kickstarter Preview page and let me know what you think? I could certainly use feedback on the backer reward levels.

If you’d like to get in on the playtesting there’s still time. Just download the Alpha 2 release and contact me to let me know you’d like to be a playtester, and you’ll score a free copy of the game after it’s officially released.

It’s been a big week for Monster Kart Mayhem. Let me know what you think about all of the updates

Series Navigation<< Monster Kart Monday #9: Fairyland Progress, PlaytestingMonster Kart Monday #11: Circus of Craziness >>